Kobe Bryant’s passing affected millions of people around the world. He was a fantastic basketball player, a caring father and an overall awesome dude. While I wasn’t one of the millions of people affected by his death, it did remind me of someone who I looked up to that had passed away.
While I was growing up there was a man that I considered a role model: Robin Williams. What Kobe was to basketball and sports fans, Robin was to comedy and movies. He had a personality that could draw you in and the humor to keep you engaged. When I was little, he filled my head with imagination and filled my lungs with laughter. Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji were three movies that defined my younger years. I wanted to be as funny as the Genie, as brave as Alan Parrish and as creative as Euphegenia Doubtfire. Robin in these films helped sculpt me into the man I would later become. The way he was willing to do anything for his children in Mrs. Doubtfire resonates with me to this day as I’d be willing to do anything for my kids.
As I got older, films such as Dead Poets Society, Jack and What Dreams May Come challenged the way I looked at life. Jack marketed itself as a comedy but it dealt with the challenges of being different and the importance of loving who you are. What Dreams May Come tackled death and what may come after. It helped me look at the world around me and value what I have. It also gave me an opportunity to look at religion and decide for myself what I wanted to believe in.
When Robin Williams died. I was heartbroken. I had never met him but in some ways he grew up with me. He influenced and shaped my life to become a better man. I owe him a lot and I still watch his movies when I can. He is missed.
While I was growing up there was a man that I considered a role model: Robin Williams. What Kobe was to basketball and sports fans, Robin was to comedy and movies. He had a personality that could draw you in and the humor to keep you engaged. When I was little, he filled my head with imagination and filled my lungs with laughter. Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji were three movies that defined my younger years. I wanted to be as funny as the Genie, as brave as Alan Parrish and as creative as Euphegenia Doubtfire. Robin in these films helped sculpt me into the man I would later become. The way he was willing to do anything for his children in Mrs. Doubtfire resonates with me to this day as I’d be willing to do anything for my kids.
As I got older, films such as Dead Poets Society, Jack and What Dreams May Come challenged the way I looked at life. Jack marketed itself as a comedy but it dealt with the challenges of being different and the importance of loving who you are. What Dreams May Come tackled death and what may come after. It helped me look at the world around me and value what I have. It also gave me an opportunity to look at religion and decide for myself what I wanted to believe in.
When Robin Williams died. I was heartbroken. I had never met him but in some ways he grew up with me. He influenced and shaped my life to become a better man. I owe him a lot and I still watch his movies when I can. He is missed.